Palm Beach Brownies

I have no idea why they are beachy type brownies. My mom sent me this recipe a long time ago and this is what it was called.

Palm Beach Brownies


1 tablespoon butter
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 ounces butter, unsalted (2 sticks)
3 3/4 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
40 york peppermint patties. (2 11 ounce bags will do, with one or two left over)

Preheat oven to 400

Line 13x9 pan with foil, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan and brush it all over with a pastry brush. 

Melt chocolate and butter in a small sauce pan over very low heat or a double boiler.  When melted, set aside

In the bowl of a mixer, beat sugar, eggs, espresso powder, vanilla and almond extracts, and salt. Mix for about 30 seconds on low, then turn the speed up to high  and beat for 10 minutes.(yes, not a typo TEN minutes) This gives the chocolate mixture time to cool, and it makes the brownies so good. 

Turn the mixer speed back to low, add the chocolate mixture, it is okay if it is still a little warm, but you don't want it warm enough to cook the eggs. 

Then add the flour, beat just to mix in. Stir in nuts if you are using them. 

Spoon about 1/2 the mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the york peppermint patties over the chocolate batter. Put them as close together as you can. DO NOT CUT THE PATTIES. they will turn into a gooey mess. 

Pour the rest of the batter patties. Be careful with this.Smooth the top. 

Bake for 35 to 37 minutes. Do not overbake ! 

Remove from oven,  and let cool in the pan. 

Once cool, invert. Remove pan, then carefully peel off the foil.  

Refrigerate overnight before cutting. This makes it easier to cut. 

Citrus Nuts

Citrus Nuts

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons evaporated milk

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 1/4 cup flour

1 egg white, lightly beaten

3/4 cup finely chopped nuts

candied cherry halves

Preheat oven to 325

Line baking sheets with parchment

Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, evaporated milk and peels

Mix in flour until well blended

Use the small scoop, make balls of dough. Dip dough tops in egg white.  Dip half the cookie in the nuts. Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Add a cherry to the top of each cookie.

Bake for 20 minutes until the bottoms are brown 

Makes 2 dozen. 

Little Cashew Cakelets

I was hungry for Indian food and a cookie. So I made these.  I like them. They have a cakey texture, hence, cakelets.

Cashew Cakelets
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sour cream
1 3/4 cup chopped cashews

Preheat oven to 400. Line baking sheets with parchment paper

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla and almond.  Mix well. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamon and salt

Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream. Begining and ending with sour cream. Carefully fold in nuts. 

Drop by medium scoops onto prepared pans. 

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden.  Remove from pan to cool onto wire racks. 

Makes about 2 dozen. 

Coffee in the Forest

These are great little chocolate cookies.  I used espresso powder instead of instant coffee, so they were a bit overly coffee, but still very good.  I have adjusted the coffee to reflect instant espresso powder.

Black Forest Bites

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups flour

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon espresso powder or 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup chopped, drained, maraschino cherries

1 cup shredded coconut

powdered sugar for dusting

Beat butter until light. Add sugar, gradually. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and almond extract. Blend well. 

Sift together flour, cocoa, coffee powder, and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in nuts, cherries and coconut. 

Chill for an hour or overnight. 

Ready to chill

Preheat oven to 325.  

Line baking sheets with parchment paper

Use the medium scoop and drop the dough balls onto prepared pans about 1 inch apart. 

Bake for 20 minutes

Remove cookies from pan and dip into powdered sugar, let cool on wire racks. 

First Dip

Once the cookies are cool, re-dip them in powdered sugar. 

Makes about 2 dozen

Bizcochitos

I was looking for a recipe to use for the upcoming Cinqo De Mayo Holiday. I came across these! They looked interesting and are dairy free!

Bizcochitos


16 ounces lard (yes, lard, butter does not seem to work as well)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
3 large eggs
3 teaspoons anise seeds
6 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon sugar

Cream lard and sugar. Add apple juice. Blend well. Mix eggs and anise seeds in a separate bowl and add to creamed mixture. 

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl. Mix into creamed mixture. If dough seems a bit too sticky, add more flour. 

Wrap in three disks and refrigerate for an hour or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking pans with parchment paper.

Once dough is chilled, roll out on a well floured board. Very well floured. I kneaded some more flour into the dough to make it easier to roll out and transfer cookies to baking pan. 

Roll dough out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Dip the tops in cinnamon sugar. It is easier than I thought that part would be

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. 

Once out of the oven, very quickly dip them in the cinnamon sugar again.  What I ended up doing was to take a shaker and shake on the cinnamon sugar over the cookies. Any extra that fell onto the parchment I put through a sieve and re used. 

Makes about 8 dozen.